Spring time images from my own habitat….There is so much coming alive right in my own digs!
Tulips in our front yard.
Peach Tree in our Peace Orchard
View of Wasatch Mountains from our property
Pear Tree in our Peace Orchard
Bees bringing pollen into the hive
100+ year old cottonwood tree in our back yard.
Lambs in the property next to ours.
Chicken Coop Building Progress
Lambs in the property next to ours.
Posted in spring
Back in 1998, around November, we found Star, our mixed Blue Heeler, at the Humane Society. We estimate that she was about 6 months old at the time.Friendly and loving from the start, we decided to adopt her. At the time my children were still in school and living at home. 
Star wasn’t the brightest dog. We think she may have been injured or abused in the first 6 months of her life. She did learn to respond to simple commands like “sit” and “stay” and “lay down”. Her very deep bark was a great security measure for our house. In the last year, though, her bark had become hoarse and rasp, and sometimes barely audible. In her early years, she loved going camping and scampering about in the desert.
Star’s favorite thing was being loved and petted (besides eating used tissue!). As soon as you would start scratching behind her ears, she became jello-like and would flop to the floor while being petted.
Over the past year Star began really showing her age. She always did have a weird gait to her walk and it became worse more recently. The past few months especially found it hard for her to get up. Her hind legs were really affected. Once she got up and going, she seemed alright. Until a little over a week ago.
I had slept in a little on a Saturday because of having to stay up late the night before to take one of my children to the ER. So I was exhausted. When I got up, Tom informed me that Star was not able to get up to go to her food and when he forced her to get up, she would collapse on the way to her water and food.
It was time to take her to the vet.
We prepared ourselves for this being “the time”, yet somehow there was still a little bit of hope that a shot would fix her right up. Her appetite was fine. She was happy. She never complained. Ever.
The vet took one look at her get up and attempt to walk and we could tell by the look on his face. He immediately said it looked like she had neurological problems causing her hind legs to be malfunctioning. Of course he gave us options, but when we considered the good life she had had, the fact that she was still happy and not in any visible pain, Tom and I looked at each other, and we knew. The decision to put her down was not an easy one, but the quality of life she was facing was not a happy picture.
As we waited for the preparation, we got to spend a final 20 or so minutes with Star. She was happy. We loved her and petted her, told her how much we had enjoyed her in our lives. Then the nurse came in to take her – we had opted not to be with her when they gave her the shot. She was able to move with assistance (a towel was needed to hold up her hind legs so she could walk with her front legs while the human carried her hind legs). And just like that, she was gone.
Not from our hearts. Star you gave us so many years of joy and happiness. Rest in peace.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tom and I have talked about getting chickens for years. We are working each year to add to our methods of becoming self sustainable – we have a fruit orchard, extensive vegetable garden, and are adding to those every year. Well, this is the year to add chickens.
Chickens are not only good for eating bugs and providing fertilizer, but they will provide us with fresh eggs. I am also looking forward to bonding with them. I keep hearing and reading that owning chickens is highly rewarding.
In preparation for our “girls”, I have been reading nd joining forums and discussion groups. I found a really great forum called “Backyard Chickens” – it has 30,000 members! It is a great resource for new and seasoned chicken owners. I found a great avatar for my profile on the forum:
This weekend we will be building the coop. We are going to convert part of an old horse shed on our property into the house for our chickens. We looked at all sorts of plans for building chicken houses and realized that the horse shed would be perfect – and inexpensive to convert! After we build the coop, we will get our chickens. We haven’t quite decided from whom or what kind, or if we should get chicks (the problem with getting chicks is that you don’t know if they are girls are boys….).
The names we have chosen for our chickens (we plan to get six) are:
Lucy, Ethel, Wilma, Betty, LaVerne, Shirley
We are very excited over this adventure!
This weekend we are also getting our Italian Honey Bees. Tom has the beehive ready and has all the gear needed for getting them started and maintaining them. He has a year’s worth of experience maintaining a beehive, so we are in good shape. We are looking forward to lots of honey this year!
So “Tom and Dee’s Excellent Adventures” continue. Look for more posts, with photos, of our latest activities with these new additions!
Posted in Uncategorized
Earlier this week I posted about H.B. 477 and the change of heart legislators are communicating. Since then the Governor has called a special session to be held Friday March 25 at noon. Community members have now organized a rally called “Repeal, Don’t Replace HB477 (We like GRAMA just the way she is) Rally” tomorrow (Friday, March 25, 2011)at 11am.
The Governor has called a special session to repeal HB477 on Friday at Noon. Let’s show up right before that and let our Legislature know that we, the people of Utah, will continue to fight for our Government to remain open.
This event is held by a private citizen and is not endorsed by any PIC, PAC, Candidate,or Candidate’s Committee. All views expressed are those of the speaker and do not reflect the views of the sponsor.
The Repeal Bill is now posted on the State Legislature Website.
More information about the rally can be obtained by writing to hb477@bobaagard.com.
Posted in transparency, utah legislature
A timely item came across my desk yesterday from my great friend Jacqui of Maine (my “angel in disguise”) who shared with me the story of a wonderful strong woman named Carole Whelan. Carole Whelan stood up yesterday at an event to Honor Senator Susan Collins (where she was inducted into the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame) and spoke out to request that such an honor be declined until all of our troops are home.
This was timely for me because yesterday was a day when I experienced a high degree of hopelessness. A day that signified the anniversary of an event that so many of us tried to stop through letters
I stand on and around rock, reminded of my small impactful part as a pebble that forms the rock.
and visits to our representatives, protests on the streets, and civil disobedience actions where some of us served jail time or paid fines for our actions. A day that while the wars continue, from those 8 years ago and long before, and also a day symbolizing new conflicts, adding to the massacres and devastation of our world. A day when the world was still reeling (and continues to reel) from the horrible devastation in Japan, with so many stories coming out of that event leaving me awed in so many different ways. Yet as the people of that nation fight to survive, as world hunger increases, as children around the world are subject to the atrocities created by the rich and greedy, as forests are disappearing…. the wars continue, families continue to be torn apart, the priorities of protecting and preserving life (or lack thereof) are only in the best interest of those that make the most monetary profit, the rate of unemployment and homelessness continues to rise, our civil rights continue to be degraded, the future of life on our planet continues to be held in question as the “leaders” continue to ignore the realities of climate change and also the inherent risks associated with the continuing development of energy using poison for fuel….and so, yes, I had a few moments yesterday of feeling like no matter what I do, my acts do not have any kind of impact in the scheme of things.
And then appeared Carole Whelan’s act of bravery in speaking the truth. A smile came across my face as I knew then that her dignified act reminded me that I am a pebble amongst all the other pebbles of inspiration in this world, and that all the acts, small and large – from these pebbles united – all of us here and the many other women and men in the world – form the rock that prove to be the foundational inspiration to others who will choose to be pebbles among us. Our continuing fortitude, persistence, unwavering commitment to life on our planet continue to serve as examples to those who will follow…..together we are the conglomerate rock on which our future generations will stand to move forward with the conviction and bravery to take action against the injustices in our world.
Below is the text of Carole Whelan’s short but powerful statement, followed by media footage links. Continue reading
Posted in democracy, War and Peace
Utah’s lawmakers are either pulling their collective heads out of the sand or are worried about their political careers…..or both.
Perhaps one of the most controversial pieces of legislature in the 2011 Utah Session was the passage and signing of H.B. 477, which now makes electronic communications of elected officials private. Hundreds of people from all political persuasions opposed the signing of this bill and even stormed the State Capitol Building on the final evening of the legislative session, demanding that democracy and transparency be upheld by repealing this action.
Genuine and sustainable leadership has been absent in this struggle and our country and state has increasingly witnessed a pendulum type swing from democracy into corporatocracy where policy implemented benefits a select few and HB477 only serves but a select few. This is easily demonstrated as our Governor has decided to keep prying eyes away from what we all call a HONEST DEMOCRACY. We found out last year thanks to our open records law which companies our Governor chose to give lucrative state contracts to. Which also lets the public review who the major contributors are, to our Governor and our State Legislators. By the Governor Herbert signing this bill WE can ALL see who benefits from HB-477.
(Melodia Gutierrez, One Utah post, Where has justice gone and what can we do to retrieve it?)
But now some lawmakers are re-considering the bill and are even advocating repealing the bill in a special spring session before consideration of any amendments which would occur over the summer.
Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, initially supported the bill because he had at one time been forced to release a personal email. Continue reading
Posted in Utah, utah legislature
Dear Congress:
On behalf of my family, particularly my children and grandchildren, and on behalf of the life of our planet, I am requesting a plan that eliminates *any* risk of harm to all life now and in the future.
Working towards a healthier planet is a crucial responsibility of *all*us, of you, the policy makers, as the caretakers of the place our future generations will be living. The news from Japan about the nuclear power plant in Fukushima is a terrible reminder of the fact that nuclear energy is inherently dangerous.
I do not want my taxes to further the nuclear industry by using them for investing in nuclear energy development. I strongly urge you to cut the $38 billion in loan guarantees to the nuclear industry from the proposed budget for next year.
It’s time to commit to responsibly investing in the futures of our children, their children,their descendants and to every living thing. Investing in nuclear energy is risky and dangerous. It’s time to invest in clean, renewable energy.
Sincerely, Deanna L. Taylor
Posted in nuclear issues
There is a double standard going on in Utah. Legislators want control of the land to be “given back” to Utah:
Utah to Washington: This land is my land! Resolution suggests D.C. cede 35,000 square miles of state
“Be it resolved, that the Legislature of the state of Utah calls on the United States, through their agent, Congress, to relinquish to the state of Utah all right, title, and jurisdiction in those lands that were committed to the purposes of this state by terms of its Enabling act compact with them and that now reside within the state as public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management that were reserved by Congress after the date of Utah statehood,” says theState Jurisdiction of Federally Managed Lands Joint Resolution.
WHOSE land is this? Hint: It’s NOT the Federal Government’s and it is NOT the Utah Government. If ANYONE is going to get their land back, it must be to be the RIGHTFUL guardians of the land : The Newe (Utes, Piutes, Goshutes, Shoshoni) and Diné (Navajo) People.
Utah Indian tribes--Utes, Goshutes, Navajo, and Shoshone
If Utah’s Legislators are really interested in insisting that the reigns on the land be released from the hands of government, they need to get it straight. This land does not “belong” to anyone. The control of the land should be restored to the ancestors of the original Natives of the land, from whom the control was stolen.
Oh but wait. Back to the double standard going on in Utah. The governor of Utah has taken control of Indian Affairs in Utah. It looks like Utah’s Government will stay in control of Native Affairs for the foreseeable future.
(cross-posted to Utah Legislature Watch)
Posted in native americans, Utah, utah legislature
(Permission granted to repost by author Jamie Pleune at The Wilderness Project — original post)
For the past few weeks, I have been learning how to sing. Once a week, members of the Unitarian Church, social activists, and climate activists have been gathering together to learn the some of the old protest songs that buoyed up the abolition movement, the civil rights movement, and the peace movement. I won’t lie. It’s a little awkward to find my voice and raise it up in public. But as I learn the classic songs of civil dissent, like “We Shall Not Be Moved,” and “Been to Jail for Justice,” I have begun to think that maybe we all need to practice raising our voices a little bit more. These classics have also made me think about the corrective role of civil disobedience in a free society.
Dissent is a part of democracy and civil disobedience can be a courageous act of dissent. A person practicing civil disobedience puts his liberty on the line in order to continue living with a free conscience. Thanks to such courageous acts, slavery is illegal, women have the right to vote, black and white customers share the same lunch counter, and children no longer work in mines or sweatshops.
This Monday, February 28, Tim DeChristopher will face trial in Salt Lake City for objecting to the government’s prioritization of fossil fuel interests over the public’s interest in a livable future in the face of climate change. On December 19, 2008 as the Bush Administration headed out of office, it offered oil and gas companies the opportunity to purchase leases to drill in scenic and biologically sensitive areas. Some of the parcels bordered Arches National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, the Needles Overlook and Hatch Point, while others were on sage-grouse habitat or on wilderness-quality land.
Tim intended to join a group of protesters lawfully picketing the auction outside the U.S. Bureau of Land Management office. On arrival, it took only a few minutes for him to recognize the familiar dynamic plaguing our nation’s relationship to fossil fuels: the people were outside, while the oil and gas companies were inside. An economics student at the University of Utah, Tim had recently taken a final exam that asked whether the sale price of the oil and gas leases at the BLM auction would accurately reflect fair market value if the only bidders in the room worked for oil and gas interests.
Tim decided to go inside.
The rest of the story is common knowledge. Tim became Bidder 70. He bid up the price of several leases (initially they were selling for only $2.00 an acre). Halfway through the auction, he began winning leases. Recognizing that something was awry, the auctioneer called for a break and eventually canceled the auction. This bought enough time for a federal court to review the sale and issue a temporary restraining order for apparent procedural problems. Later, when the BLM re-evaluated the appropriateness of selling each parcel, it concluded that only 17 of the 77 parcels were ready to be leased. The other 60 parcels were either inappropriate for oil and gas development or inadequately evaluated.
Although both the judicial branch and the executive branch seen to have concluded that the December 19, 2008 auction was unlawful, Tim will spend Monday morning facing the possibility of ten years in prison.
Why is the federal government pushing for a criminal conviction in this case? When a citizen defies an admittedly unlawful government act, what good is served by criminal punishment? Tim acted on behalf of all of us, pushing the government to protect our public lands and our right to a livable future in the face of climate change. Even the Department of Defense has recognized that climate change presents a serious threat. Yet, the fossil fuel industry continues to enjoy subsidies, tax breaks and preferential treatment inside the halls of Congress while “We the People” wait outside.
It’s time for reform. And it’s time to show support for members of our community with the moral courage to align their conscience and their actions by standing up for our right to a livable future. That is why I, and many others, will stand in solidarity with Tim on Monday outside the courthouse. Oh, and by the way, we’ll be singing.
Jamie Pleune, a sixth generation Utahn, lives in Salt Lake City. She recently completed a 350 mile “Pilgrimage for Hope” through Utah to raise awareness for climate change. You can learn more about the “Bidder 70” trial by visiting http://www.peacefuluprising.org.
Posted in civil disobedience, democracy, environment, Utah, Wilderness
It’s bad enough that Utah Legislators are attempting to destroy the public educational system in the state. Along with bills that want to transfer control from the State Board over to the Legilators or the Governor (depending on which bill), the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee has proposed a total of $257 million dollars to education programs for the upcoming fiscal year.
Ouch. Double ouch. Triple ouch.
What is making the situation worse is the shocker news about cutting programs at both ends of the spectrum – gifted and special needs. As
"We’re going to cut some of these things, so you need to tell us in what rank of importance do you see (these programs)" Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, said to State Superintendent Larry Shumway.
The State Board of Education approved a list of programs that could be cut if needed last week, and on the figurative chopping block was $20 million in funding for USDB. The board was emphatic that it doesn’t want to see education cut in any way and was only making the recommendation to assist the committee.
(Deseret News, February 8, 2011)
This axe would effectively kill early intervention services to students with sight and hearing impairments, along with services that are best delivered in the specialized setting of the separate schools.
Legislators have put state education officials in a precarious position. Utah is already at the top of the list in class size and at the bottom in per pupil spending. The system already operates on a bare bones budget.
What will be the sacrifice of these cuts? What are the stakes for our future generations when education is sacrificed – for all students? Mediocrity appears to be the mission. Dare I say…..reminiscent of A Brave New World? Maybe…….
(cross-posted to Utah Legislature Watch)
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged budget, education, public education, utah legislature
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 